Analysts widely expect that BNSF Railway and CSX will seek to merge in the wake of last month’s announcement that rivals Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would combine in an $85 billion deal to create the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. “The question around BNSF remains not if but when they will announce a deal to […]
BISMARCK, N.D. — BNSF Railway has passed the halfway point in construction of its new bridge across the Missouri River in the Bismarck-Mandan, N.D., area on its former Northern Pacific Jamestown Subdivision. The 1,554-foot-long single-track bridge is being built adjacent to the 140-year-old NP bridge that it will replace. The bridge will have generous clearances […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis has issued its final Environmental Impact Statement for the Green Eagle Railroad, a 1.3-mile line that would be part of a new 19-mile rail route and bridge connecting Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negas, Mexico. The report addresses two route alternatives, the Southern and Northern […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF set an all-time monthly record for terminal dwell in July, with cars spending an average of 21 hours in its major yards. Terminals that set new marks for low dwell include Barstow, Calif.; Belen, N.M.; Northtown, Minn.; and Pasco, Wash. BNSF’s intermodal and automotive terminal in Pearland, Texas, which serves […]
DENVER — A BNSF worker was seriously injured in a derailment at the company’s Globemaster Yard in Denver today (Aug. 5, 2025), KMGH-TV reports. The injury led to amputation of his right leg. The National Transportation Safety Board announced it will investigate the incident. The Denver Fire Department reported on social media that the worker […]
OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s profits surged in the second quarter thanks to a combination of efficiency gains, lower costs, and higher coal volumes. The railway’s pre-tax earnings increased 11.5%, to $1.8 billion, as revenue increased 0.15%, to $5.7 billion, corporate parent Berkshire Hathaway said on Saturday. Operating expenses declined 4.7% as fuel costs decreased […]
SALT LAKE CITY — BNSF Railway, Patriot Rail, and the Utah Inland Port Authority held a grand opening ceremony on Thursday for the Class I railroad’s new intermodal facility in Salt Lake City. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, legislative leaders, and public-private partners gathered to celebrate the milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This new facility is […]
UNION, Ill. — The first U.S. production AC-traction locomotive, BNSF Railway SD70MAC No. 9400, has been donated to the Illinois Railway Museum, IRM has announced. The 4,000-hp EMD locomotive was the first unit in an order for 350 locomotives built between November 1993 and mid-1996, following several years of testing of diesels with AC traction […]
WASHINGTON — Groups representing rail shippers say they would be opposed to the creation of a transcontinental railroad in the U.S., arguing that further consolidation in the industry would reduce their competitive options, lead to higher rates, and worsen service. Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern said last week that they are engaged in advanced negotiations […]
A stat in a Schneider news release caught my eye earlier this month: Overall cross-border intermodal volume between the U.S. and Mexico was up 17% last year. Impressive, yes. But what jumped off the screen was Schneider’s growth rate. Its cross-border traffic — which rides Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s flagship Mexico Midwest Express hotshots — […]
WITTMANN, Ariz. — BNSF Railway has asked Maricopa County officials to delay a vote until November a vote on its proposed $3.2 million logistics and intermodal hub near Phoenix. The Arizona Republic reports a letter requesting the delay from a planned zoning vote scheduled for Aug. 20 did not offer a specific reason, but says […]
BNSF Railway has not engaged with investment bankers about a possible railroad merger, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett told CNBC today. Yesterday Semafor and Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that BNSF had hired Goldman Sachs to advise the railroad about mergers. But Buffett said neither he nor Greg Abel, the […]
